Why Hillary Clinton Isn’t Too Old for 2016

When She’s 69: There’s more to the story than where Hillary Clinton’s age would rank among presidents if she were to be sworn in, in 2017. She’ll have about as many years left as some of the 50-somethings who were president in an earlier era, life-expectancy tables show.

Age is a consideration that could ultimately lead Mrs. Clinton to sit out the 2016 presidential race, Mr. Rove said in an interview.

“My head tells me she runs, my gut tells me this is a more complicated calculation and she might not,” he said. “Two weeks before the 2016 election, she’ll turn 69. If she were to serve two terms, she’d be 77.”

So, is Mrs. Clinton too old to be president? A look at the life-expectancy tables shows that 69 isn’t as old as it used to be.

If Mrs. Clinton wins, she’d be nearly 69 years, three months old when she takes the oath of office. That would make her the second-oldest person to be sworn in–behind Ronald Reagan, who was a little more than 69 years, 11 months old when he became president in 1981.

Age doesn’t tell the whole story, though. People are living longer. These days, a 69-year-old white woman has about as many years left as some of the 50-somethings who were president in an earlier era.

Let’s talk about Warren Harding (and who among you hasn’t been clamoring to read those words?).

Mr. Harding was 55 years old at his inauguration in 1921. At the time, he was expected to live another 20 years, according to data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s not much more time than a President Hillary Clinton would have left.

On inauguration day in January 2017, a 69-year-old white woman would be expected to live another 17 years.

Of course, no one ever knows how much time they have left. Mr. Harding died in office at age 57, two years after his swearing-in ceremony.

Harry Truman was 60 years old when he became president in 1945 upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt. That’s nine years younger than Mrs. Clinton would be on inauguration day. But in that era, a 60-year-old was expected to live only another 17 years (As it happened, Mr. Truman passed away in 1972, 27 years after he was sworn in).

“Her chances of survival are extremely good throughout the term,” said Dr. Laura Carstensen, who directs the Stanford Center on Longevity, which studies the human lifespan.

As people age they tend to process new information with less speed and efficiency, she said. But such changes are relatively slight and, in the end, outweighed by the life experience that people bring to bear, she said.

For those who are “highly educated and have deep experience in a particular area,” she said, these cognitive changes are “offset to such a degree that generally performance continues to improve.”

Another benefit that comes with growing older: emotional stability. As people age, they are typically less prone to emotional mood swings, Dr. Carstensen said.

Mrs. Clinton has dealt with unwelcome attention to her age in the past. In her 2008 White House run, she came under criticism for mistakenly saying she had dodged sniper fire upon landing in Bosnia when she was first lady.

Her husband rushed to her defense, for better or worse.

At a campaign stop in Indiana, Bill Clinton said in reference to reporters who had run with the story: “When they’re 60 they’ll forget something when they’re tired at 11 o’clock at night, too.”

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